Setback for Novartis Hepatitis Drug

By

Marta Falconi

April 19, 2012 12:39 p.m. ET

Swiss drug maker Novartis AG suffered a setback Thursday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed the development of an experimental hepatitis treatment on hold following the death of a patient that could be linked to the drug.

Novartis is developing the drug, known as alisporivir, for the treatment of hepatitis C, a liver disease caused by infection with a virus, which can result in liver damage and cancer. The drug...